Brigid Ferguson
KPMG Graduate Program
Following a year of travel after university, Brigid joined KPMG in 2007. With a degree in financial services, KPMG helped Brigid make the switch to accountancy by supporting her through the ICAA’s Graduate Certificate of Chartered Accounting Foundations. Now on her way to being qualified, Brigid works as a senior accountant for Middle Market Advisory.
Why I chose KPMG… I knew a couple of people that worked at KPMG. They loved the sociable culture and friendly atmosphere. During the interview process I got a really good impression and felt it would be a good fit for me personally and professionally. They were also very encouraging in my transition to accountancy from a financial services degree.
Starting out… It was definitely a steep learning curve to begin with but there’s a fantastic support network around you and you are encouraged to ask questions. Graduates are assigned a ‘buddy’ who is a level above you which I found really helpful. It was great to have someone to answer my questions and introduce me to people. There was a lot of training in the first few months but we were also given responsibility and challenging tasks early on which was great. We got to go out and meet clients essentially from the beginning which was definitely the most interesting part of the job. Starting at KPMG was made much easier by the number of social events too where we had the opportunity to meet everyone in our division.
What it takes to succeed… I think it’s important to take advantage of the resources around you and soak up as much knowledge in the first couple of years as possible. We are given great training and surrounded by people who we can learn from that have had fantastic experience. It’s a matter of asking them questions to make the most of that experience. A genuine interest is a must too and a desire to explore the opportunities around you — you can take many different
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